Chapter 358: Secret Chamber

Once the grave was dug, they lowered the corpse into the earth before closing it again.

Filling it back was easier than digging it.

Before going about their day, Dorian and Bryan went out to hunt.

It didn’t take long to find an Awakened Monster nearby—a twisted, feral boar that had come too close to the glade. They killed it quickly without pain, and dragged the carcass back to the grave.

Dorian stepped forward, went down to one knee, and breathed out small fire from his mouth.

He also activated his Halo again, blocking the snow so that the fire could grow.

All of them watched the fire erupt, consuming the carcass in a bright, roaring blaze. It was a sacrifice. An oblation to Hermes, the guide of souls, praying to him to lead the deceased’s spirit to peace.

Following that, the three of them offered their own blood next.

Kai drew the Blood-phantom Scimitar and cut his palm before doing the same to the others.

And then, the three squeezed their hands, letting the blood drop onto the burning carcass.

It was a libation for Hades, the Lord of the Underworld—humbly offered so that he might not punish the soul too harshly. So that his eternity would not be one of torment. A simple ritual that many did even on the surface.

Once they were done, Kai nodded his head.

"Follow me." He turned and walked away, returning into the forest again.

Kai brought them to another side of Ixos, to the mana ore mine that he had found back then— where he made his final push to fulfill the Blood Rite’s last requirement. But instead of going through the entrance, he circled around to the opposite side of the rock face.

Silence enveloped the entire place, only the howling wind and snow.

Dorian and Bryan followed closely behind, not knowing what to expect.

Both thought that Kai came to Ixos simply to make his point, but it seemed he had more than that planned. Eventually, Kai stopped before a massive, almost round boulder that was oddly leaning against the rock wall.

Like someone had deliberately placed it there.

Its surface was slick with frost, but Kai’s brute strength didn’t care about it.

Kai grabbed the boulder, and his fingers cracked through the frost.

He pushed it aside, rolling it through the snow and revealing what lay behind it.

Dorian and Bryan froze at the sight.

Behind the boulder was a makeshift door embedded in the rock. It was roughly made and utterly out of place in the desolate wilderness. And the way the wood was crooked and uneven on multiple edges showed that the person who created it was in a hurry.

It was a primitive door that led deeper into the rock’s face.

"Is this where you went back then?" Dorian asked.

"What is it?" Bryan turned to Dorian. "What’s this place?"

"Kai only has one Divine Lock—but it was a mutated one. It could contain more mana than a normal Divine Lock could. On the last few days of the Blood Rite—he left. I believed he found this mana ore mine."

"I see."

"No—You are wrong." Kai shook his head. It seemed Dorian had misunderstood the situation. "The mana ore mine I found was the entrance we walked past earlier—this is something else. Come. Let’s go inside."

Kai opened the door and led the way.

It was completely dark inside.

But Dorian infused his hand with mana, casting a crimson glow across the tunnel—allowing them to see better. Surprisingly, the tunnel went deep, and it even went down a few steep falls until they reached a flat surface."

Kai straightened his spine and crossed his arms.

Behind, Dorian and Bryan did the same and frowned at what they were seeing.

And then, Dorian stretched his hand forward, letting the crimson warmth of his mana seep into the pitch-black corners of the chamber. The light caught something. Sparkling blue hues poked out from the darkness, refracting the crimson glow into a thousand glittering points.

Dorian’s breath hitched in his throat.

He pushed his hand further, illuminating the far corner, and stopped dead in his tracks.

A massive pile.

It was a mountain of mana ores, stacked haphazardly against the stone wall.

From high it climbed; there should be thousands of them. Perhaps even surpassing three. They glittered with a breathtaking, ethereal blue light. A sea of condensed mana that looked more tantalizing than a treasure chest.

Even though Dorian and Bryan had mined mana ores, they had never seen a pile this high.

Dorian turned slowly, his eyes wide as he fixated on Kai, who was leaning nonchalantly against the tunnel wall, basking in their sheer, unadulterated surprise. "Where... where did you even get this many mana ores?"

It was true that a Red Prince was given a good amount of weekly quota.

But it would take years to amass this many.

Perhaps Kai wouldn’t be able to get this many until he graduated from the academy normally.

One place that he had in mind was the factory or the warehouse, but those places were really secured. Not only with Guard Angels, but also countless preventive and defense measures, as the mana ores in there were bound for Demons.

Demons were the highest social status.

Anything that involved them would be extremely monitored.

Knowing Kai, Dorian didn’t believe that he would dare do something like this.

It would only be risking his entire effort for nothing.

Kai looked at the pile, and then said quietly. "Professor Hera prepared this for me."

He told them the truth.

A few months ago, he had followed the map that was hidden in a secret compartment—near Professor Hera’s table. Bree was the one who got it. And that map led him to find this hidden place in Ixos.

A protective barrier had suppressed the mana ores, keeping them invisible to the world.

But the key that Bree found could be used to break the seal.

Professor Hera had been smuggling these mana ores since the Blood Rite for some reason. She had anticipated that she might not be around for long, as she was deep in enemy territory, so she left a note behind.

In that note, she told him that he could use everything inside the chamber.

And she also said that he didn’t need to feel indebted to her.

According to the note—she hadn’t gathered this to coax him into the Fallen Faction. Professor Hera had done it simply because she admired his unwavering will to push forward, regardless of the unfairness and suffering he faced.

She believed that he would become someone.

Even if he refused to join the Fallen Faction, he would become someone who would do good.

And these resources she gathered were simply her investment for a better future.

Kai wasn’t expecting her to do this at all, and realizing that she did made her death even more painful. He kept thinking whether things wouldn’t have spiraled this way had he not gone against Lion in the first place.

Sometimes, he believed that things would remain somewhat stable had he spared Lion.

And Professor Hera’s identity wouldn’t be exposed.

But the moment his mind wandered there, he quickly pushed those thoughts away.

No need to linger on what could have happened.

Only reality matters.

"Kai... What is this?" Bryan finally voiced his thoughts. "Why did you bring us here?"

"I said what I said to you earlier because I want you to understand that you would always be a part of us. I didn’t say I was giving up on you." Kai smiled and nudged his chin towards the pile. "Make use of those mana ores and reach the Aspirant Supernal rank. Take as many mana ores as you need. No excuses this time."

"Wha—?" Bryan stuttered, eyes widening in shock. "Kai... are you sure? This much... it feels wrong to take it. Professor Hera gathered this for you. Not for me. I don’t think it’s right to let me dip my hand into this pile."

Kai smiled—a genuine, warm curve of his lips that softened the harsh lines of his face.

He stepped forward and shoved Bryan lightly toward the pile.

"She told me it was an investment, so I can use it however I want," Kai said with a laugh. "And don’t worry about me. I have my own resources. She did not only leave this pile of mana ores behind, so you don’t need to fret about it."

Bryan stumbled, catching himself against the edge of the pile.

He looked back at Kai, then at the thousands of ores, and back at Kai again.

"See?" Dorian laughed and raised two thumbs up. "Everything would end up good."

Eventually, the hesitation in Bryan’s eyes disappeared.

It was replaced by a fierce, burning resolve.

Since he wasn’t that talented, it was hard to reach the Aspirant Supernal rank—with only the legal mana ores from the weekly quotas. But now with the pile of mana ores, there should be no more problem.

He would reach the Aspirant Supernal rank.

Bryan wasted no time and sat down, composing himself to start his breakthrough.

Even with the pile, it would still be hard, but the chances are higher now.

Dorian stared at Bryan’s determined face—one that showed he would do everything he could to reach the Aspirant Supernal rank. A small smile curled on his lips. "Thank you for this. I’m glad that you didn’t abandon him too quickly."

"Don’t get sentimental now." Kai sneered. "You already looked like a girl, so don’t push it."

"Fucking asshole."

"Well, this asshole also has this."

Kai tossed an old-looking scroll.

Dorian caught it and looked at Kai in confusion.

He unrolled the scroll and read its contents.

It was a technique called the Mana-Transfer Technique—one that allowed a person to infuse their own mana into another in a compatible way. It was mainly used to noticeably bolster the target’s skill or imprint.

Other than that, it could also help Bryan reach the Aspirant Supernal rank.

"Go there and help him make the final push—when he needs it, " Kai said as he walked to the side. There was another tunnel to the right that Dorian didn’t notice. "It might take a few days, so I’ll also be staying here to ward off the Guard Angels."

He waved his hand and entered the tunnel. "Notify me when it’s done."

Soon enough, the tunnel opened to another chamber, but much smaller than the main one.

Kai looked around at the small pile in the corner, a few items that were emanating mana, and also an unrolled scroll pinned to the rock wall. He stretched his arms and cracked his neck. "I guess I better start doing my own thing.’